Grilled n’ Glazed Chicken with Red Lentil Stew

Directions

1. Start by peeling and chopping the carrots and onion, and slice the cabbage into two-inch ribbons.

2. Next, warm up a large, deep-sided skillet over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add canola oil (or any other high temperature oil such as grapeseed or peanut) and all veggies to pan. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. After that, don’t stir the veggies for a few minutes so that some of them will take on some color to enhance the flavor of the stew. While the veggies are searing, measure the lentils and spices.

3. After five minutes or so, or when the veggies have softened slightly and taken on some color, add the lentils and spices to the pan. Stir to incorporate and allow the mixture to toast in the pan for a minute. Stir continuously to prevent the spices from burning.

4. Next, add the stock to pan. The liquid will produce a lot of steam so be sure to protect yourself and be careful. Bring the liquid to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and cover. Let the stew simmer for 12 minutes to allow the lentils to soak up most of the liquid and finish cooking the veggies.

5. Meanwhile, heat your grill. While the grill is warming up, brush the chicken breasts with canolia oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. When the grill is hot, brush the grates with oil and then add the chicken. Depending on how large your chicken is, this can take anywhere from 6 to 12 minutes. When your chicken is approximately a minute away from being finished, brush the breasts all over with the Zukti Wing sauce to form a glaze. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow the breasts to rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. While the chicken is resting, divide the stew across four shallow bowls. Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and divide evenly across the bowls. Serve immediately with extra Zukti Wing Sauce at the table for drizzling. Note: cut the chicken small enough so that your guests can eat the dish with a soup spoon.

Ingredient Note: I used Trader Joe’s split red lentils for this recipe. Other varieties may take longer to cook so be sure to follow the instructions on the package of your lentils. The cooking process and order will be the same regardless of cook time.

Highly Recommended

I have recently had the pleasure of sampling the three products offered by the Apex Food Company and have come away impressed by the depth of flavor contained in each of the sauces. As a life-long fan of the rich flavors of Indian food, I am excited to see this cuisine represented in such an accessible way, allowing the more tentative shopper a chance to experience new flavors on familiar dishes like burgers and chicken wings. However, once you’ve experienced these bold spices on your own comfort food, I hope you’ll feel inspired to explore the many ways in which you can incorporate the Zukti sauces and Piaz relish into your cooking to add variety to your weekly go-to menu. The recipe above is a quick and easy meal you can make in 30 minutes at home using the Zukti Wing sauce. Here are a couple of other suggestions to get you started:

• Use the Zukti Tamarind Sauce as a base for a vinaigrette
• Use the Piaz Onion Relish with a little sherry vinegar to add richness to roasted Brussels sprouts or cauliflower
• Use the Zukti Wing Sauce as a dipping sauce for eggs rolls the next time you get take-out
• Visit the Apex Food Co. website for more ideas!

Their Story

“So many people did not cross the village boundaries where we were born. But we did. We were privileged to enjoy globalization in the true sense. The village was a small one, with an obscure name, in a little known part of India. But while it didn’t beckon tourists by the hundreds, it definitely stirred its own pots of stews, curries and chutneys. We didn’t watch lots of movies, nor did we have shopping malls, but we had yummy food all the time. Foods cooked with love, and recipes passed on from then, and improvised for the now.

Today, we are American women of Indian origin – we are IT professionals, conscientious, daring & most importantly Foodies. We absolutely love all the foods that the American melting pot offers us. And thus we felt inspired to add our family recipes to this eclectic mix.The childhood memories of authentic and unique flavors in our mother’s kitchen are still fresh in our minds.

This desire made us leave big cities and move to a place where the American dream lives. We both found ourselves in the small town of Apex NC.

Apex – where a peaceful life style blends ideally with the creative impulses. This was the perfect atmosphere we needed to take the big step from our kitchen to yours. Based on hundreds of years old recipes and honestly picked ingredients, we created food that everyone loved. Every age group and ethnicity demanded more. The challenge to create unique, addictive foods while keeping “goodness at its peak” was met… And the Apex Food Company was founded.”

Visit the Apex Food Company’s website for more information regarding their products and where to find them.